2.1 Proportion of miners with heat related illness
Heat is a common problem in the mining industry. Surface miners are frequently exposed to high temperature especially during hot days. Underground miners are vulnerable to heat accumulation as the result of high heat flow from the earth, heat from virgin rock, and additional safety equipment.
Heat illness has been suggested to occur along a continuum of ailments because relatively minor symptoms can quickly progress into more serious and life-threatening cases if appropriate actions are not taken to alleviate the condition (8). Its occurrence is from relatively minor heat rash (milliaria rubra) and heat cramp, to the serious heat exhaustion and severe heat stroke, heat illness can present
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A study by Donoghue found that contractors' employees had a higher incidence of heat illness than operators' employees for all major categories of mining operations; underground operations, surface mining, and mills/preparation plants (20).
2.2 WBGT index and Physiological measures of workers in gold mine
Assessment of personal's thermal environment involves several factors which can be grouped into two categories, the environmental and personal factors. Environmental factors include; air temperature, radiant temperature, air velocity and humidity, while personal factors include clothing insulation, metabolic heat and hydration status.
The above factors are considered in a three-tiered approach to assessment of heat exposure in different range of scenarios. These include basic assessment which is qualitative, undertaken as part of walk-through survey. Thermal assessment using heat stress index- the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index which is a portable heat stress meter to measure heat condition and determine how long a person can safely work or remain in a particular hot environment, Table 1 and Table 2. Studies have reported the use of WBGT as the indirect heat stress indices and the primary indicator of the thermoregulatory stress in occupational
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In a study to describe the underground thermal conditions associated with the occurrence of heat exhaustion to workers in deep underground metalliferous mine within Australia, the surface air temperature, virgin rock temperature, high and hot humidity were identified as the major risk factors for heat stress while human metabolism, oxidation processes, explosive blasting and rock movement as less important source of heat. It was found that the mean core temperature of the workers were below the ACGIH TLV with only five cases exceeded 38.0 ̊ C. Based on air velocity of < 1.5 m/s the mean average WBGT was above recommended limit. Low proportion of workers had a heart rate greater than 100 beats/min
The Making of a Hardrock Miner written by Stephen M. Voynick, describes his own personal experiences as a hardrock miner in four different underground mines in the western United States, the Climax molybdenum mine in Colorado, Hecla Lakeshore Project a copper mine in Arizona, and two uranium mines in Wyoming. Rather than a book telling of the fortunes gained and lost, this book was about the relationships gained, but then also lost through mining. Stephen M. Voynick’s direct words and simple writing style provided a book that was an easy read and educational about mine work and safety.
The Klondike Gold Rush was a big leap in history. America would have not encountered things today without the exploration and excavation of the Klondike Gold Rush. The Klondike gold rush was one of the biggest gold rushes in history. It was a time of life, death, and fortune. There was many dangers on the journey to the gold. This was a very dangerous time full of below freezing temperatures with dangerous animals. They had to go through mountain passs and dangerous valleys.
The Pikes Peak Gold Rush took place between July of 1858 and February of 1861. The Pikes Peak Gold Rush was later to be named the Colorado Gold Rush due to its location. It was only the start of the mining industry. Thousands of people took place in mining, those of which were called the “fifty-niners.” William G. Russell was the leader of the expedition to the Rockies. He was married to a Cherokee Indian, which is how he heard of the gold findings in 1849. Based on the rumors of the gold that was being found in Pikes Peak, Russell organized a group including his two brothers and six companions to seek the gold. After doing so, the discovery of gold findings by the prospectors in 1858 sprung up a boom. Once the news of the gold discoveries
The need for an investigation was starting to be recognized. The hazards to life because of fire are: covering fire prevention, arrangement of machinery, fire drills, inadequate fire-escapes and exits, number of persons employed in factories and lofts, etc. Some of the dangers to life and health because of unsanitary conditions are: ventilation, lighting and heating arrangement, hours of labor, etc. There was no insulation in the winter, only a pot-bellied stove in the middle of the factory. In the summer you suffocated with practicall...
One of the biggest problems with working in a mine is the the health risks you are taking when stepping into a mine and staying there anywhere from 10-16 hours of the day. Miners of the Gilded Age, needless to say, did not live very long at all. Some of the diseases they contracted were black lung, Silicosis, and COPD. Coal Miner’s Pneumoconiosis, more commonly referred to as Black Lung, is caused by inhaling respirable coal mine dust. Silicosis is a more specific, but yet still commonly found in coal miners, version of Black Lung caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica, such as Quartz, a major component in rocks. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, is still common today in people who don’t even work in mines. COPD is a progressive disease that increases airway
Summary of Source Information: This article talks about the health conditions of many miners and diamond diggers that are affected due to substandard working conditions in sub-Saharan Africa. In these areas, where there are many unregulated mining locations, workers are prone to being exploited to hazardous working conditions. Children are especially vulnerable in these environments because they already suffer from poor health conditions due to lack of care and nutrition. Children have often been exploited in the diamond industry due to their ability to get into small spaces and dig out packs of dirt. Another health effect associated with diamond mining, in which this article talks about, is how diamond deposits have often mixed with vegetated areas, leaving it unsuitable for farming activities. Mining equipment leaves heavy minerals and chemical products that run into the rivers and contaminate vital sources of water for the mining community and people who live in these rural areas. Currently, diamond companies, as well as labor and health activists, are trying to do something to help improve health conditions of workers.
In the textbook reading, “The Gold Rush and Economic Development,” reads about the discovery of gold in early 1848 that lead to the Gold Rush; one of the most significant events to shape American political, social, and cultural history during the 19th century. As the news of the discovery of gold spread in the San Francisco mines, thousands of people migrated by sea or by land to the state and the surrounding areas. By the end of 1849, the non-native population of the California territory increase with the arrival of Anglo- American and people from all over the word, becoming a multicultural state.
The Gold Rush was a time when many people in United States rushed west in hopes of discovering gold. This attracted thousands of people from all around America. Women played a key role in the Gold Rush. They had lots of jobs when it came to migrating west.
As opined by Cassidy (2006), these are intrinsically demanding, hazardous and actually challenging lines of work. Consequently, it is important to consider workers’ health related issues and others connected to the place of work to diminish the effects of drug use in construction sites and to augment the protection contained by the workers in addition to the place of work.
The advance of technology during the gold rush had a very positive effect on the economy, bringing in over $100 million dollars in two years. In today's currency after inflation, that’s over $2 billion dollars.
The accidents involving machinery kill and/or hurt more coal miners in a year than any other mining accident. The machinery in mines are located in cramped spaces with little light, causing miners to have two times the chance of accidents. The accidents involving roof and rib failures can usually be averted if a mining company has a roof support plan. For a roof support plan to be made, information like entry widths, mine geometry, the number of pillars that must be left up right, and the number of bolts that must be used are needed (Cobb 3 of 5) Accumulations of gases in underground coal mines is another very serious hazard. If certain gases like methane and carbon monoxide are at or above 5% in the air they can cause violent explosions. Blasting in coal mines are the main cause for such dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.
For example, factory workers were expected to work 14-16 hour days, six days a week. The dusty, dirty, unlit mills along with few break times made working there a living hell. “Breaker boys suffered from chronic throat trouble and respiratory illnesses that were caused by inhaling coal dust. Above ground machinery, particularly coal crushers, were dangerously loud. If a breaker boy worked long hours around the coal crusher he often suffered from hearing loss (Wagner). Due to the fact that there were no safety laws in place, ear plugs and masks were not used. In fact, no safety equipment was. The dangerous machines with unprotected parts made children susceptible to injury and death. If someone were to get injured, they were immediately fired and not paid compensation for their health care. “If a boy was caught wearing gloves, the boss would beat him. A skin condition that miners termed “Red tips” was brought about by prolonged contact with sulfur from the coal. Breaker boys’ fingers often became cracked, bloody, and swollen from sorting (Wagner)....
Acid Mine Drainage For hundreds, even thousands of years, human beings have mined for metals and stones, and with the advent of greater technology as well as greater needs, the demands for these resources continue to grow. While these resources benefit our lives in many ways, the effects of mining can be detrimental, and one such effect is the topic of this essay, acid mine drainage (A.M.D.). The Causes of A.M.D. will be discussed, along with some of the physical and biological problems associated with it. Some prevention and remediation treatments will also be considered.
Adam Smith wrote in his masterpiece, the wealth of nations, “It is the necessary, though very slow and gradual consequence of a certain propensity in human nature which has in view no such extensive utility; the propensity to truck, barter, and exchange one thing for another” (Smith, 2005). This propensity in human nature led to the development of currency – a medium of exchange accepted by a community of people. For centuries, gold and silver were used around the world as currency; in 1834 the United States, formerly on a bimetallic standard, converted to a gold de facto standard. This policy made it so the dollar was backed by gold at a ratio of $20.67 per ounce. The Gold standard was used until August 15, 1971 when President Richard Nixon
Gold is one of the most popular metals as investment. Because of its high and consistent value, it is considered one of the safest commodities to invest in. There are several ways of using gold as an investment. Gold can be physically bough in the form of bullion bars or bullion coins. Gold exchange products can be traded in major stock exchanges in the same manner as shares. These include closed-end products or CEFs, exchange-traded notes or ETNs, and exchange-traded funds or ETFs. Gold accounts can be availed from banks and their management greatly depends on whether it is an unallocated or an allocated gold account. Gold certificates used to circulate as money until the United States restricted private gold ownership in 1933. Buying shares in gold mining companies comes with structural, management, and political risks but investing in the right company at the right time can increase share prices to as much as 20%.